Communicating for a Change by Andy Stanley
If you do any type of public speaking, this book is fundamental to improving how you communicate. Andy is one of the best communicators I have heard and this book is full of helpful wisdom. This is the methodology Andy uses to communicate his world-class lessons.
This book is about preaching. However, you cannot argue with a guy who's messages reach over 70,000,000 people each month. He communicates in a practical way that moves people... exactly what each of us as leaders want to do.
Part I
An insight rich fable of a preacher who’s questioning whether his messages are making any impact. He flies to meet a truck driver who is considered one of the best preachers there is and learns about his style while driving a day or two back to the airport. He likens his style to the rules for being a good semi-truck driver.
Part II
The expanded details of the 7 part methodology and rules from the truck driver fable.
1. Determine your Goal:
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Teaching the Bible to people: Focus is on helping people navigate the bible. This helps to explain what the Bible is. The question from the communicator is “did I cover the material?” |
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Teaching people the Bible: This is where the idea of the three point sermon came from. Better ways to have the people follow along. The question from the communicator is “Did my audience understand and will they remember?” Alliteration and rhymes are often used. |
Transformation: Teach people how to live a life that reflects values, principles and truths of the Bible. The question the communicator asks here is “Were they changed?” | |
Two key questions: So what? Now what |
2. Pick a Point:
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Two key questions:
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No problem coming up with the one idea, but eliminating the other three |
The process around picking one point
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3.Create a map
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Me (orientation). Finding common ground with your THEM. Buying into the messenger before the message. THIS PART IS VITAL. Especially if you don’t speak to these people every week. Your struggle. |
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We (identification). To spark an emotion in as broad an audience as possible. DON’T TRANSITION FROM WE TO THE NEXT SECTION UNTIL YOU FEEL YOU HAVE CREATED THAT TENSION, QUESTION or MYSTERY YOUR AUDIENCE WANTS RESOLVED. Your struggle becomes their struggle. |
God (illumination). Resolve the tension. Engage the audience with the text. | |
You (application). So what and now what? Think how this applies to concentric circles of relationships. Me, Family, Community, Outside faith, Marketplace/work. Or, different times in life: Teens, Campus, Singles, Newlyweds, Parents, Empty-nesters. How it applies differently to believers and unbelievers. What about those who aren’t there and will hear about it from those who did hear it? | |
We (inspiration). Paint the verbal picture of what could and should be. Dream on behalf of the people. This is not just for our lives to be better but for a better life for everyone… for the body to be a beacon of hope in our communities. Imagine what we could do together. | |
The outline of your message is to be built around your relationship with the audience rather than the content. | |
Write these 5 words in the margin where they apply in your current way of doing an outline and add the sections you’re missing. |
"Reduce entire message to 5-6 pieces. Not points, pieces" |
4.Internalize the message
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Own the message. You should be able to sit down and deliver the message to two people across the table in a way that is conversational and authentic. |
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Reduce entire message to 5-6 pieces. Not points, pieces:
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Stay three weeks ahead for each message. | |
Saturday is review and memorization (own it) of the message for that Sunday. | |
If something doesn’t support, illustrate or clarify the ONE POINT, cut it! |
5.Engage your audience
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Based on movies or any entertainment, the issue is not the SPAN of people’s attention, it’s the ability to CAPTURE and HOLD the people’s attention. |
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Presentation is more than important than information… until information becomes vitally important because the desire for the answer is burning in the audiences minds. |
Create an introduction that answers one of these pairs of questions:
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Rules of Engagement:
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Listen to those you find engaging and learn from them. Ask what it is they’re doing that is so engaging. What can you do similar? |
6.Find your voice
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Chuck Swindol said: “Know who you are, accept who you are, be who you are” |
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NOT: “know that your messages are complicated, accept they are complicated, be complicated” or “know that you aren’t engaging, accept that you aren’t engaging, be unengaging.” |
Understand the importance of what you do. If you have one chance to make a difference in your child’s life, what would you do to ensure it happens? | |
Develop an approach that supports your goal and a style that supports your goal. |
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Constantly ask yourself two questions to develop your style:
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7.Start over
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Don’t let the pressure to get the message done override your passion to bring something fresh to your audience. |
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Whether you’re stuck or not. Get on your knees! Even when we have a great message and a clear map, it’s ultimately God who uses it to transform people’s hearts. |
The map to getting unstuck. Review if the message isn’t resonating with you:
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This book is one of the best books written on speaking. All my talks are built around this outline.
Buy the book on Amazon
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Have you read it? What did you think?